Staycation, Again?

An optimistic May report from the Mastercard Economics Institute found that in the first quarter of 2022, Americans were booking domestic and shorter international flights above 2019 levels by about 25 percent, though long-haul flights were still depressed. But, the report warned, “While the tailwinds of Covid-related pent-up demand are pushing the travel recovery forward, the headwinds of inflation, supply chain constraints, geopolitical uncertainties and Covid infection rates are also shaping 2022.”

The impact of rising prices might be uneven, the report said: “More price-sensitive travelers may stick closer to home, while less price-sensitive travelers, who are more likely to have more excess savings, may be less concerned with higher prices and eager to travel.”

Domestic hotels booking up

For those who aren’t jumping on long-distance flights, the winners appear to be nearby vacation spots, where hotels and short-term rentals are booking up. Airbnb’s U.S. bookings from people staying within their own region were up 65 percent in the first quarter of 2022 over the first quarter in 2019, said Haven Thorn, an Airbnb spokesman.

“The demand for domestic leisure travel is higher than it’s ever been post-pandemic,” said Emily Seltzer, the marketing manager at River House at Odette’s, a small luxury hotel in New Hope, Penn., which draws most of its guests from Philadelphia and New York. “Rather than having to fly, guests are more inclined to hop in their cars and begin enjoying their vacation.”

Amanda Arling, the president of The Whaler’s Inn, a luxury hotel in downtown Mystic, Conn., said that the hotel is filling up quickly for summer, much faster than in prior years. Weekends are already almost entirely sold out through Labor Day, and she said she’s beginning to see midweek business pick up as well. Ms. Arling estimates that 20 percent of the bookings are locals from Connecticut and Rhode Island on staycations.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/21/travel/covid-cases-staycation-vacation.html